Help with possible dealer fraud

[Sam Subaru]

I hope someone can help me with a problem I'm having with my Subaru dealer. Whenever my car is in for warranty repair the dealer is very reluctant to provide a loaner car. When they do provide a loaner it's about 7 - 10 years old, with a 100,000 miles or more, in bad repair, stains on the seats, unwashed, trash inside, and smelly. I'm not exagerating at all. I complained to Subaru of America. Now the dealer hates me. My car is currently in for a repair that will take about 5-days. When I told the dealer I would need a car to get home and until my car was repaired, he blew a gasket and started yelling at me. He said he only had cars like I was loaned previously and that if I complained again to Subaru of America that I would never again be allowed in their dealership. I would have to travel very far to find another dealer. He then went on to say that he just had to speak his mind and kept on going on and on. I could see that he was beyond reason. My only reply to him was "I get the message." So he tells me he had a crappy car to loan me and that they would get me something a little better the next day (today). So I call the dealership several times and am told "we don't have anything now, try us later." Then I'm told that none of the other loaner cars have been returned. In the meantime I call Subaru of America. I ask them if my warranty would cover a rental car and they say it would -- but only $30 per day. They tell me that my dealer is a member of the Subaru Loaner Car Program -- this means that they get new cars at HUGE discount to make available to customers with car repairs. He told me that I should be provided with a Subaru car that is a 2004 or 2005. He told me that the dealers bill SOA $30 per day on the bill that is submitted for the warranty repair. He also told me that my Subaru dealer is supposed to have favored arrangements with local rental car places -- and that the dealer is supposed to rent me a car and have the billing submitted with the warranty repair, and that I'm supposed to be given an AWD car similar to a Subaru. I then call my dealer and ask them to get me rental and they say they don't do that. So I told them I would be returning the loaner they gave me (a 1995 Subaru Impreza with over 100,000 miles that is filthy, smelly, stained seats, radio missing buttons, non-power windows, balding tires, etc.) and renting a car. The rental will cost me $39 per day plus tax for a Dodge Neon that is a 2004 or 2005. What should I do now? I'm so f-ing mad. I feel that I and many other customers have been defrauded. I don't know why Subaru of America doesn't visit dealerships and make sure things like this can't happen. I've owned 3 Subarus and don't see how I can ever buy another. I really like Subarus, but without a good trustworthy dealer, then what good are they. I also believe SOA has been defrauded by this dealership -- they are reimbursing the dealer $30 per day for renting junkers to unsuspecting customers. They are also taking advantage of the SOA loaner program. I hope someone on this forum has some advice. Sorry for being so long-winded.

[freakray]

I went through crappy service with a Subaru dealer in Baltimore, out of frustration I sold my Impreza and purchased a truck.

What vehicle do you have that you're having so much apparent trouble with it, under warranty?
Your profile says you have a 2001 Outback, did you buy an extended warranty on that?
What kind of problems are you having?

[Sam Subaru]

I have the Gold Plus 6 year 100,000 mile extended warranty. With under 66,000 miles my car has need a new transmission, alternator, battery, radiator, and rotors -- 2001 Outback

[freakray]

I've never heard of that many problems with a Subaru, and you've yet to tell us what dealer you're dealing with.

Take the matter up with SOA, if the dealer tries to take it out on you, take that to SOA too, or take them to court.
If you have proof of all this warranty work being done on your car, send copies of it all to SOA and ask them to explain why you're experiencing so many problems.

[Sam Subaru]

I don't want to mention the dealer's name. My car is there right now. The person I spoke with at SOA was very nice and informative. I really think something is fishy. If SOA is selling the dealership new Subarus at great discount for the SOA loaner program, and if the dealer is then not supplying these discounted cars to the customers then that's just not right and might be fraud. If on top of that, the dealer is billing SOA the $30 per day cost of a loaner -- submitted with the warranty repair invoice to SOA, then that might be a crime. For the dealer to be mad at me for telling the truth and for complaining about being given junkers, when my extended warranty is supposed to provide a decent car/rental, then that is fraud. And I'm not the only victim. How SOA could not be aware of this, I have no idea. I complained in writing the last time I was given a particularly disgusting loaner.

[freakray]

You need to make send Subaru a copy of your service invoice showing the work done and invoice number along with the letter.
If you have paperwork for the loaner, or photos, send them that too, they need to be able to tie the invoice they receive from the dealer to the work you're complaining about.
If they find the dealer is invoicing them for the loaner use and you've sent them proof you didn't get one, then they have grounds to revoke the dealer's licence.

Subaru have strict policies in place as far as their dealers are concerned, I am sure they would like to know if customters are being treated badly.